The development of the ŞAHÎ chess set was a collaborative milestone for the teams behind the shatranj.ai and shatranj.art projects. These initiatives, coordinated through the Science History Department of Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University (FSMVU) and supported by the EU Erasmus+ Youth programme, aim to bridge the history of science, art, strategic games, and artificial intelligence.
Photo 1: The Project Team at the FSMVU Üsküdar Campus
This image documents the project team celebrating the completion of the first ŞAHÎ prototype on 26 May 2022. The department’s research provided the historical foundation for the set’s unique aesthetics.
From left to right:
Jahangir Ashurov: World-renowned miniature artist and instructor (Bukhara school). He consulted the ŞAHÎ design process through Afrasiyab roots of chess.
Prof. Dr. Güner Karatekin: Children’s health and neonatology professor.
Tamer Karatekin: Technical coordinator of the shatranj.ai curriculum and the co-curator of the shatranj.art exhibit, the designer of the ŞAHÎ chess set and pieces
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kaçar: Dean of the Science History Department at FSMVU. Coordinator of the shatranj.ai and shatranj.art projects.
Prof. Dr. Atilla Bir: Professor and preeminent authority on the history of science and historical instruments. He advised the ŞAHÎ chess set design process through many references to science history.
Photo 2: Shatranj.art exhibit at the Hagia Sophia Campus of FSVMU
The ŞAHÎ chess set was presented to the public for the first time on January 11, 2024, at FSMVU’s Hagia Sophia campus through the shatranj.art exhibit. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kaçar and Tamer Karatekin discussed the cultural and historical evolution of chess pieces. The talk highlighted the Byzantine/Rumi chess variant found in the Kitab-ash Shatranj and the specific architectural inspirations—such as the iconic domes of the Hagia Sophia, the Pantheon, and the MIT—that informed the design of the ŞAHÎ set’s king piece.
Photo 3: ŞAHÎ set prototype photo with Prof. Seçil Şatır
Prof. Dr. Seçil Şatır is the founding dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Design, and Architecture at Hitit University; and a professor at FSMVU Faculty of Architecture and Design. She served as a key a key design consultant for the ŞAHÎ design process. Tamer Karatekin on the left, prof. dr. Güner Karatekin on the right.
